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Video length: 4 min
United Kingdom: wild falcons, the new prey of thieves
Peregrine falcons are at the heart of vast trafficking even though they are extremely coveted in the Gulf countries. The theft of these wild birds is a source of concern in the United Kingdom.
(France 2)
Peregrine falcons are at the heart of vast trafficking even though they are extremely coveted in the Gulf countries. The theft of these wild birds is a source of concern in the United Kingdom.
ua protected species that faces a new kind of threat. Scottish falcons are caught in international trafficking. Captured in the wild, they head to countries in the Middle East, organizers of raptor races. Their price is soaring and can go up to 250,000 euros for a bird. Some are so valuable that we even pay for plane tickets for them, with all the comforts. In southern Scotland, spring marks the start of a crucial period for falcon advocates. It’s the animals’ breeding season, so you have to watch out for thieves.
5,000 British falcons exported each year
In a database, a falcon defender lists dozens of cases of falcon egg thefts, year after year, from the hundred or so nests he guards. At the root of the network of thefts, two Britons attracted by the staggering sums of money involved: more than 5,000 euros per egg exported to the Middle East. During the investigation, baby hawks were found in their home. 5,000 British falcons are exported each year, but stolen wild falcons fly under the radar. Falcon exports have increased 50-fold over the past 15 years.
